Carnivore Credo [Abridged]

I, FIT_Goat, am a strict carnivore. This means that I eat little, to no, plants. All of my energy (calories) and nutrients come from animals or animal products. I believe plants can be used for seasoning and or medicine, but they aren't meant to be used for attempting to meet energy or nutrient goals.

The Basics

1) Eat only from the animal world (meat, eggs, high-fat/low-carb dairy).
2) Calories and macros are not important, nor is the number of meals/day.
3) Eat nothing from the vegetable world whatsoever (very small amounts of spices may be added, they are not ‘food’).
4) Drink mostly water, coffee, or tea. Drink nothing sweetened in any way. Alcohol (liquor and wine) may be consumed carefully and at your own discretion.
5) You do not need any supplements of any kind.

These are a modification of the basic ideas set forth by a guy known as Owsley "the Bear" Stanley. He ate the way I do for over 50 years, before dying in a car accident (not of scurvy, malnutrition, or heart attack). Not every carnivore adheres to the same "rules" as I do. Some allow artificial sweeteners. Some don't do dairy. Some count calories, macros, and track their carbs. Some do bone broth, some eat raw meat, some eat organ meats. None of that's really necessary, but it makes some people feel better.


How
Eat meat.
Drink water.

Alright, that's easy enough to say, but hard in practice. First, start out simply with a fixed time period, January in this case. Commit to sticking with it 100% for that time period. No cheats, no breaks, no exceptions. Keep track of how you feel.


FAQ

• What about the carbs in {eggs, cheese, cream, seafood, etc.}?
  Each person is different in regards to this, but most of us do not count anything. This includes carbs from these foods. If I eat a dozen eggs, and I just might, I don't count the carbs. Sure, it's like 7g of carbs, which is over the 5g that most consider the limit for this. I might eat a bunch of liver, which can contain a lot. It doesn't matter. I ignore those carbs. I am a little more considerate about carbs from dairy, but that is because dairy tends to stall me worse than almost everything else.
  
• What about vitamin C?
  You don't need it when eating fresh meat. Don't try to live off canned ham, or do something else silly like that. You can cook your meat. I would recommend that you don't cook it to death. But, I do know people who eat almost only well-cooked hamburger and do just fine.
  
• How do you poop?
  Uhm, same as you do. I don't need fiber. Things work out just fine with enough fat in your diet. Actually, I experience less problems with constipation and irregularity than before.
  
• But what about the planet?
  Pasture restores the soil and is healthy for the earth. Modern agriculture destroys the soil. On top of that, much of the land that can be used to raise meat is unsuitable for growing the monocrops that we think of as "healthy."
  
• Can I drink alcohol?
  It is not recommended. If you choose to drink, stick to the low-carb beverages. Most wines are fine and liquors also.
  
• What about artificial sweeteners?
  This is a hotly debated topic and people are considered carnivore who end up on both sides of this. My [Goat's] opinion is that a preference for sweetness causes more temptation and a more difficult time succeeding at being a carnivore. For this reason, you really should go cold-turkey and not allow any sweetness. It doesn't matter if that sweetness has a carb or calorie count attached to it. I saw no sweeteners at all would be ideal. After that, the sweeteners that are not sugar-alcohols would be second best. Sugar alcohols frequently do contain carbs that affect blood sugar. But, all sweet things keep the cravings for sweet things alive.
  
  I confess, I do sometimes allow myself a diet cola (usually when eating out). But, it is very rare, because I do find that I am more tempted by carbs after I have been drinking diet cola.
  
• How do you not go over on protein?
  First, I don't count protein. So, I don't go over. If you do track protein, you won't really find it changes much at all.
  
  Say you have a goal:
  • 100 grams of protein
  • 147 grams of fat
  • 20 grams of carbs
  • (1800 calories a day)
  
  This is roughly 73% / 22% / 5% and is pretty typical.
  
  You cut those vegetable carbs out. Now you need to make up 80 calories? Where do you get 80 calories? How about a large egg?
  
  You're now at:
  • 106 grams of protein
  • 153 grams of fat
  • 0.6 grams of carbs
  • (1800 calories a day)
  
  Your protein macro barely changed at all! And, we haven't even considered that the vegetables probably contributed some protein.
  
  Spinach nutrition found online:
  • 20 grams of protein
  • 0 grams of fat
  • 20 grams of carbs (30 grams - 10 grams of fiber)
  
  The 20 net carbs from spinach probably had 20 grams of protein in there with them. That is 80 calories of protein and 80 calories from carbs. Swap those 160 calories for 2 eggs, what have you done?
  
  2 eggs nutrition:
  • 12 grams of protein
  • 12 grams of fat
  • 1.2 grams of carbs
  
  Swapping the spinach for 2 eggs brings your macros to 79.3% / 20.4% / 0.3%... that's even better than before. You've reduced the actual amount of protein you're eating!
  
  **[Package of pictsweet frozen spinach that had nutrition label of 0 grams fat, 3 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, and 2 grams protein used for the above calculations]
  
• What about the cost?
  Per calorie, low-carb vegetables are horrible on your wallet. A quick google says that a pound of frozen spinach will get you about 140 calories. You're doing really good to get that for $1. I think the generic at my local store is around $2 for a pound or it might be 12 oz. How many calories can $1 of eggs get you? Well, let's pretend that eggs are not on sale and cost $3 a dozen. Even at this inflated price, you're getting 280-320 calories per dollar. That's less than half the price per calorie! I can usually get eggs for $2 a dozen when not buying them in bulk and almost as cheap as $1.50 a dozen when buying 5+ dozen at a time. Don't think of it as a "volume of food" consideration. By volume, low-carb friendly vegetables are cheap. But, by nutrition and calories, they're very expensive. My food expenses went down when I stopped buying vegetables.